"she was our mother, the anchor and heartbeat to our family," derek said. "(she) would spread her love and dedication like a small hummingbird."
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his heart, beating for 84 years and full of love for the woman he affectionately called his "blue-eyed guera [pronounced whedda]," felt like it was failing.
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derek and his wife, michelle, have three boys, ages 11, 16 and 17.
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